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that bird revive amidst the flames.

Thus Hesiod, who lived about the time of Elijah, makes no allusion to the bird's reviving from its ashes. Herodotus, who probably had the old edition of the story from the Egyptians, is equally silent on this point.

Again I ask, why the Cabbalists make Phinehas the same with Henoch and Elijah. The Rabbins may answer, that it was on account of the words at Numbers 25. 13. I reply, cras credo, hodie nihil. It seems plain, that the Jews and Arabians had gotten possession of some tradition, which connected the fabulous phoenix with the real individuals, Henoch and Elijah; and no doubt they fancied that the name of phoenix was to be traced to Dr, Phinehas. This, therefore, seems to be the evident reason why they fabled, that Phinehas was revived in the person of Elijah.

The Arabians likewise tell us, that Elijah, who was the samne with Henoch and Phinehas, was also the same with Al-Choder (Sce Golius in voce). It is to be observed, that

ás, signifies a palm-tree.

قرد

خضر

or

This fabulous Al-Choder, who was also Henoch, Phinehas, and Elijah, flourished, it is said, in the time of another imaginary person, whose name was Aphridun (1). Now this last name is clearly from unicus fuit. The derivation is evident. There are four crements. The alif, the initial crement, is merely emphatic-the ya, which follows the second radical, seems to refer the word to the class of diminutives-the waw supplies an alij, being motived by a dhamma;-and the nun final is formative (according to rule) of a noun from a primitive triliteral verb. I mention these particulars to show, that there can be no doubt about the derivation. Now I say, that Aphridun signified nothing else than the phoenix. Observe, that even at this day, when the story of the phoenix is pretty well forgotten, the Arabians still say , i. e. “phoenix of the age," when they speak of an extraordinary person. (See Willmet.)

وفريد الدهر

Thus then according to the Arabian traditions, Henoch was the same with Elijah, and Elijah with Phinehas. But all these three were the same with Al-choder, (that is in palma,) who flourished in the time of Aphridun (that is ỏ poïng avis.)

Upon the whole it appears to me evident, that the celebrated

Sun, which abides not, and only concludes one period to commence another. The true history of Henoch, or Phenoch, might then suggest the fable of the Phoenix, that bird, which, as a symbol of the Sun and of the year, periodically renovates its existence, and reproduces itself.

It may be asked, why the Egyptians chose a bird for the hieroglyphic, by which they expressed the soul renewing its existence, and the Sun recommencing a year, or a cycle. The phoenix resembled an eagle; and the eagle in moulting-in casting its old feathers, and in acquiring new ones, presents us with a lively image of renovation. Hence was the eagle feigned to renew its youth, *JITIVI - WWII Winn--renovabitur, ut aquilæ, juventus tua. Ilence during the ceremony of an apotheosis the Romans were wont to let fly an eagle.

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I shall now proceed briefly to show, that the oriental traditions support my argunient. That some of these traditions are absurd, and that all of them are false, I easily admit; but our business is with mythology and consequently with falsehoods.

Henoch is frequently called Edris by the Arabians. He is so called in the Koran (Surat 20). The commentators say that he received that name on account of his learning. I wonder that the page of Golius should present us with another and most absurd association, which might have been avoided. Let us remember the fact, however, that Henoch is pretty generally known to the orientalists by the name of Edris.

But the Arabians also hold, that Edris, i. e. Henoch, was the same with Elijah. (See Hottinger de Muhammedis Genealogia.) Again the Arabians and the Jews had the tradition, that Phine,

has, the son of Eleazer, revived in Elijah. (See Hottinger)

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Thus the Jewish and Arabian traditions unite Henoch and Elijah, and Elijah and Phinehas. Now how came the Cabbalists to think of Phinehas?

Henoch and Elijah are the only men that have lived on this earth, and that have escaped death. The Egyptians appear to have built the fable of the Phoenix on the true history of Henoch, whom they would call Phenoch; and when the translation of Elijah took place, his disappearance in a fiery chariot probably induced the orientalists to consider him as the same with Henoch, and further to improve on their story of the Phoenix, by making

that bird revive amidst the flames. Thus Hesiod, who lived about the time of Elijah, makes no allusion to the bird's reviving from its ashes. Herodotus, who probably had the old edition of the story from the Egyptians, is equally silent on this point.

Again I ask, why the Cabbalists make Phinehas the same with Henoch and Elijah. The Rabbins may answer, that it was on account of the words at Numbers 25. 13. I reply, cras credo, hodie nihil. It seems plain, that the Jews and Arabians had gotten possession of some tradition, which connected the fabulous phoenix with the real individuals, Henoch and Elijah; and no doubt they fancied that the name of phoenix was to be traced to Dr, Phinehas. This, therefore, seems to be the evident reason why they fabled, that Phinehas was revived in the person of Elijah.

The Arabians likewise tell us, that Elijah, who was the same with Henoch aud Phinehas, was also the same with Al-Choder

(See Golius in voce pas). It is to be observed, that

ás, signifies a palm-tree.

فرد

خضر

or

This fabulous Al-Choder, who was also Henoch, Phinehas, and Elijah, flourished, it is said, in the time of another imaginary person, whose name was Aphridun (1). Now this last name is clearly from unicus fuit. The derivation is evident. There are four crements. The alif, the initial crement, is merely emphatic the ya, which follows the second radical, seems to refer the word to the class of diminutives-the waw supplies an alij, being motived by a dhamma;-and the nun final is formative (according to rule) of a noun from a primitive triliteral verb. I mention these particulars to show, that there can be no doubt about the derivation. Now I say, that Aphridun signified nothing else than the phoenix. Observe, that even at this day, when the story of the phoenix is pretty well forgotten, the Arabians still say , i. e. "phoenix of the age," when they speak of au extraordinary person. (See Willmet.)

وفريد الدهر

Thus then according to the Arabian traditions, Henoch was the same with Elijah, and Elijah with Phinehas. But all these three were the same with Al-choder; (that is in palma,) who flourished in the time of Aphridun (that is i povi uvis.)

Upon the whole it appears to me evident, that the celebrated

fable of the phoenix has been built upon the traditions, which the Goim preserved and perverted of some facts recorded in the Old Testament.

Sept. 1816.

W. DRUMMOND.

P. S. I forgot in my remarks on the periods to observe, that if you multiply the 72 dodecans by 12, the number of the signs, you will have 864, and that if you multiply 864 by 30, the number of degrees in each sign, you will have the number of years con tained in the great cycle, viz. 25920.

COLLATIO

CODICIS HARLEIANI 5674.

CUM ODYSSEA EDITIONIS ERNESTINÆ 1760.

No. VIII. (Continued from No. XXVIII. p. 333.)

ΟΔΥΣΣ. Ο.

3. ὑπομνήσα et

ου super a

prius.

10. τηλ' et interpr. πόρρω.

12. φάγωσιν.

13. χρήματα.

74. ἐν πολλοῖς οὐκ ἐφέρετο· καὶ ἔστιν ἡσιόδειος τῆς φράσεως ὁ χαρακτήρε εἰ δὲ δεχοίμεθα αὐτὸν, πρὸ τῶν πρὸ ἑαυ τοῦ δύο στίχων ὀφείλει γράφεσθαι:

78, οἱ ἡ ἠθετοῦντο· συγκέχυται δὲ τὸ δυϊκὸν τοῦ ἀμφότερον : sed alter, κῦδος καὶ ἀγλαΐα ἓν ἐστί. διὸ καὶ τὸ

19. ἀθετεῖ ἀριστοφάνης· ἔνιοι τοὺς Γ ἀμφότερον ἐπήνεγκεν. καθεύουσιν.

23. τεθνείατος a m. pr. Postea superadditum et . in a muta

tum.

26. κυδνήν ex emend. certe anti

qua.

27. γε omittit.

31. 32. ὑποπτεύει διονύσιος.

37. γρ. ότρυνε.

39. ός θ'.

80. τραφθῆναι text. et schol. sed supra ręα in textu scriptum τας. Μοχ ἀτόπως τὸ ἀν ̓ ἑλλάδα· κοινὴν γὰρ τὴν ὑπὸ ἀχιλλεῖ ἑλλάδα καλεῖ ὅμηρος : Pro κοινὴν fortasse legendum μέσ

την.

83. ἀμπέμψει ex emend. manus ejusdem. Schol. καὶ ταῦτα ἀπρεπῆ διδάσκεσθαι πρὸς μενελάου τὸν τηλέμα χον τὸ ἀπαιτεῖν: Aliud schol. άμ

45. νοθεύεται ὡς διαπεπλασμένος ἐξ πέμψει διὰ τοῦ μ. ἔστι γὰρ ἀποπέμ

ἡμιστιχίου τῆς κ ιλιάδος. [ 158.]

52. δουρικλυτός.

62. ἔπος ηύδα suprascr.

63. omittit.

ψει τὸ τέλειον :

91. videtur Aristophanes spurium censuisse.

95. οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον ἀθετεῖν, οὐ γὰς

73. ἐποτρύνει et κατερύκει, sed δήλοι οι θεράποντες ὥστε ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ

utroque loco η super s..

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